Scripture: Luke 15:1-7
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance
Thought for the Day: I’ve said it before and I’ll said it again, Jesus doesn’t play the odds. He doesn’t even seem to be concerned about the odds. Most of us would be a bit disappointed to lose a sheep, but it is 1%. That’s not bad! Any business works into its budget a loss of product. Any rancher expects to lose an animal now and then. Those things happen, or at least that’s what most of us would say. But for Jesus, every loss is significant and is not forgotten. In fact, so precious are the sheep that the shepherd will do whatever is necessary to find the one that is lost. It is comforting to know that our God would never write us off as loss, but will continue to search for us in love.
Prayer: In my own experiences of being lost, O Shepherd of Grace, you have not disregarded me as unworthy of the search. For your unceasing mercy, I am thankful. Amen.
DON’T MISS WORSHIP
THIS MORNING
Luke 15:8-10
The Parable of the Lost Coin
“When Tenacity Becomes Reckless”
WE NEED YOUR CHILI
